You could create a workflow that runs on a schedule to enable/disable the workflow (or the file system condition) via the API. This is pretty easy to do. I've attached a pair of workflows that will accomplish this (they both use the same task, with different arguments in the form of shared variables).

The shared variables should be self explanatory. However, I would recommend inputting your username/password directly into the task, rather than use the bpaUsername and bpaPassword shared variables I have created.

As a note, we use file system conditions to monitor dozens of folders across our network, and it's always worked well without causing any noticeable impact. Granted, a majority of those folders are on servers physically located in the same room connected to a 10G network.

That would be ideal, yes - but a scheduled trigger is essentially a one-time configuration. In other words, I can't create one to run daily at 17:00 and then tell it to repeat every 5 minutes until 17:30.

As an alternative, I *could* create a schedule to run every 5 minutes and then set an exclusion period, but I really do not like doing that because it seems to cause clutter in the calendar.

In this case, what I ended up doing was creating a one-time trigger to run Mon-Fri @ 17:00. Within the task, I check for the file and if not found, a wait action is called for 30 seconds, and this repeats until 17:30 or until the file is found.

You can apply an exclusion to a condition, workflow, or task. For tasks and conditions this is done by right clicking on them in the Workflow Designer and selecting Repository properties. For Workflows this is found in the Workflow Properties. You can have multiple exclusions.

Would it be possible to set-up a remote support session where we can take a closer look at this issue? If this is possible please send an email over to AutoMate.Support@helpsystems.com with a list of your availability. Also please verify the Operating System of the machine in question and it's bit level, as well as the version and bit level of the AutoMate software.
Note: Please reference this forum thread in your email.

Are you just wanting to see what we have in place? As far as an "issue", we aren't having any with this - the process I put in place is working fine.

My main question was implementing an "active" window for a file monitor. In other words, add a file monitor event trigger but be able to set an active start-stop time so that the file monitor only works within that window.

We do not have such a feature in Automate for triggers. I have submitted a feature request and linked it to this forum thread. In the meanwhile, the closest we have would be to use the task trigger exceptions.

James,
Since you are using Enterprise, this is easy. Just go to your trigger's properties and set an exclusion time window (or two). It is exactly opposite of what you want, but this can be set to exclude the triggering times and will give you same results.

Let's say you want trigger between 4-6 in afternoon, exclude 12 am to 4 pm and then 6 pm to 12 pm everyday and you are set or am I misunderstanding your request?

I currently use the exclusion windows a lot, but when you look at the calendar views for your schedules, it creates clutter because to create the scenario I'm looking for with using exclusions, I'd have to create a job to run every 5 minutes and then set an exclusion for the remainder of the 23.5 hours of the day. In the meantime, if you look at the calendar it will show the schedule for that task as being every 5 minutes, which means there are a LOT of entries in the calendar, which does nothing but create clutter because it's not really reflective of the true schedule when in reality the task will only within the 30 minute window.

Example, I created a very simple workflow with a schedule trigger and one task. I set the trigger to run every 5 minutes. I then set the workflow to exclude the time period from 12:00 PM to 11:59 PM. If you look at the trigger properties (NextLaunchDate) for the workflow, you'll find that it is still scheduling the working every 5 minutes, regardless of the exclusion. While the workflow will not actually fire within the excluded time period, it still shows in the calendar view and as a result, creates a LOT of clutter in it. Furthermore, the Calendar in the SMC seems to be very flaky and slow. Most of the time I don't even use it because it seems to crash the SMC more often than not.

James,
The Exclusion I am talking about is on the File Trigger. Create a File Trigger and then go it's properties and set exclusion? This is not on Schedule Trigger. Our File Trigger uses Windows built in notifiers to trigger the changes, it is not polling (that behavior was changed after v9).

Ok I think I see what you're referring to. I added a File System condition, and then right-clicked on it and selected Repository Properties, and then went into Condition Properties > Exclusions. Is that what you're referring to?

Yes! That way it is on that Trigger specifically. As you have noticed the exclusions are just ignored by server, so there will be signal sent when there is activity, but will be (hopefully depending on your folder activity) much less network traffic or maybe none at all.